Playing for the AL East lead, neither the Boston Red Sox nor the New York Yankees want to concede their ground in Sunday night's game. Through five and a half innings, the game is tied at one as a result of a duel between Josh Beckett and Freddy Garcia.
Garcia worked his way into trouble in the second inning with a leadoff walk followed by back-to-back singles. However, he got Josh Reddick to strike out and Jason Varitek to pop out for the first two outs of the inning. Marco Scutaro came through for Boston with a single to right field, but Garcia ended the threat after that. Jacoby Ellsbury flied out to right field.
The Yankees answered back in the fifth inning on an Eduardo Nunez home run to left field off of Beckett. It potentially could have been a two-run home run, but Russell Martin attempted to stretch his single into a double. He wound up out at second base. The Yankees threatened in the sixth inning after back-to-back singles by Mark Teixeira and Robinson Cano, but Beckett saw Nick Swisher fly out to center field and then mowed down Eric Chavez on a strikeout for the third out of the inning.
For more on the Yankees, visit Pinstripe Alley. Check out Over the Monster for more on the Red Sox.